How to take the perfect selfie

The art of the selfie is a relatively new but sweeping epidemic. The fun and frivolity of capturing the ultimate effortless snap can take some serious preening and preparation. Being your own paparazzi is now a socially expected skill. Luckily, most of us actually carry enough technological equipment with us every day to produce a professional worthy self portrait from our trusty smart phones.

With a little helping of our tried and tested fail-proof knowledge you’ll be able to create the perfect christmas selfie to show you off at a dazzling best. We’ve gathered some of AtHome magazine’s top tips on how to create that cover girl shot!

We would love to see our gorgeous readers celebrating the festivities however they know best. Tweet us a photo to @athomemag of you either ‘AtHome‘ or out spreading christmas joy with your family, friends or colleagues. You’ll be showing all of the girls in our headquarters and all of our lovely followers your new selfie skills and we can’t wait to see what you’ve all been up to. Happy snapping!

The Angle Everybody tends to have a ‘best side’ with more symmetry and balance than the other, so work with your best assets. Turn the head slightly lifting up the chin to reveal a smooth jaw line and experiment with tilts to define the cheekbone. Holding the camera above your head creates a slimmer face with a large doe eyed effect and avoids the dreaded piggy nostril shot. This angle will also accentuate your cleavage, so be aware if you are a wearing a lower cut top to avoid any unwanted attention!

The Pose Duck face pouts, fake sleepers, crazed stary eyes and Miley Cyrus tongue shots are all officially naff. Your best most beautiful feature is your smile, so wear it with pride. Confidence and personality will shine through and what better a memory to keep and share than a naturally happy you!

The Lighting The back camera on a smartphone has higher resolution than the front which means your picture will be less blurry, but avoid using the flash where possible. It can leave you with nasty red eye and harsh shadows – natural light is usually the most flattering as it softens your features. You could try positioning yourself near a window to steal as much soft daylight as possible if you can’t get outside. Play with using light in front of you to hide any blemishes in the shadows on your skin.

The Interest This shameless act of self promotion is your moment of glory. Pick a point of interest which highlights whatever you want to tell the world about yourself. It could be your style, how you’re feeling, who you’re spending time with or wherever in the World you may be. Have you got a new haircut, a new outfit, a new recipe, a new man?! Choose something significant that you want to share, if it’s simply how

The Background Be aware of what you have in your frame, people will notice if you’ve got the kids dirty laundry hanging around or people photo-bombing inappropriately in the bar. Set your scene and let it all tell a story. Take as many photos as you need before you find the perfect package and then just delete all the ones that don’t make the cut. The joys of digital!

The Edit Most phones have various standard editing settings like a black and white option and a simple crop. If you have a smartphone there are countless apps you can download to add different filters which add colour, texture, mood and tone to your own image. Instagram and Retrica are two of the most popular applications – you can give yourself a St Tropez glow whilst hiding a multitude of sins with the touch of a few buttons. Now you’re ready to upload and share your superstar masterpiece with the world (and then you can sit back down with your cup of tea and your ‘AtHome‘ magazine and let all the ‘likes’ roll in!).